The plant-based cookie store MidnighTreats opened a new location in College Park on Feb. 8.

The store on College Avenue is filling an opening after Insomnia Cookies recently vacated. It will be the company’s inaugural outlet in Maryland. The chain, based in Virginia, has locations in Reston, Arlington, and Alexandria.

MidnighTreats has contributed over $6,000 to animal sanctuaries nationwide and over $3,000 to their Nova community. The company has additionally collaborated with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant over 19,000 trees.

Michael Lurie, an Orthodox senior Philosophy major, said he keeps Kosher but would eat at any restaurant as long as it is not meat. He added that he knows other students who keep stricter Kashrut and who would eat at vegan places.  

“They realize there’s nothing that could really be non-kosher there” Lurie said.

According to Pew Research Center, approximately 17% of American Jews indicate that they maintain kosher in their households, while 95% of Orthodox Jews follow kosher guidelines. Only 3% of Kosher American Jews would consider themselves vegetarian or vegan.

Adam Speiser, an Orthodox senior Computer Science student, says he would only eat out if a restaurant is Kosher certified. He speculated on the store’s potential impact.

“I don’t know how it will affect students who eat dairy, vegetarian, or vegan out at unheschered restaurants because there are already other places,” Speiser said.

Brianna, an employee who has worked at the shop since it opened, says she believes Kosher laws and the restaurant share the same value of protecting the environment: “We have a similar value of respecting animals here and the owner does a lot of donation with proceeds.”

When asked about how Jewish students who keep Kosher can benefit from the restaurant, Brianna described some of the available products, “We use oat milk teas as a base instead of cow milk.”

The restaurant has already built a strong customer base, with people flocking the store throughout the day.

An assortment of cookies at MidnighTreats. (Courtesy of Creative Commons)